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Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Christmas 2015 - Gadgets & Games

I've finally got the rest of our Christmas feature organised! For the rest of this week I'll be posting a section of our Christmas Gifts Recommendations each day, ending the week with a giveaway! The guide contains selected reviews we have done this year (you can find all our other Christmas related posts here, and then click Older Posts at the bottom of the page for more), several new reviews, products we have bought, used and liked, and products we saw, liked and think will make great gifts.

I've also changed the sections to the type of products instead of who they are suitable for, because it makes much more sense. So if you are looking for gifts for children for example, do keep an eye open for each section because there is something for everyone in each of them!

The Christmas Gifts Recommendation Guide is split into the following sections/ posts (order might change):

Don't forget to take a look at the Limited Edition section (purple link) which was published already due to the limited stock availablility (grab yours while you can!). Hopefully they are still available. I've already seen people walking around with their Christmas shopping!

As huge Nintendo fans, the first thing we must recommend is anything from Nintendo of course! And this isn't just because we are fans, they truly are the best to go for if you are mostly playing family and children friendly games.

We would highly recommend Wii U Super Mario Maker for Mario fans, which covers a wide age range so if you know any adults who are fans, this will be the perfect game for them. The game is the longest lasting Super Mario game out there, and gamers can have a go at designing their own platform game too. You can check our full review through the link.

For those who love to have a go at interior and exterior design, the new Nintendo 3DS Animal Crossing: Happy Home Maker will certainly make them happy! They can design from houses to mansions, shops to hospitals and shopping malls, and the more they play, the more items will be unlocked for them to use in their designs! You can find our full review through the purple link.

This year we have also reviewed a game we think that older kids will really like - Wii U Splatoon! It's an online (can be played offline too) multiple player shooting game that doesn't focus on shooting at people! The target (in the multiple-player games) is to cover as much ground with paint as possible with your team mates. You don't talk to each other during the game so you don't have to worry about online bullying. It's all about fun while playing with others. The full review can be found through the link.

All the games can be bought with a fantastic bundle, so do check the bundles out because they will make really lovely gifts, especially if you are gifting a hand console or console.

My favourite have to be the new Nintendo 3DS Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Bundle at £197.99, because it comes with a white new Nintendo 3DS, the game, Animal Crossing cover plate, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Nintendo 3DS kit, the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer amiibo card series 1 album (see above picture) and a power adapter (the new Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL doesn't come with a power adapter themselves)!

Nintendo has also just released their Christmas Build Your Own Bundles, which I think is brilliant because you can customise your own gift bundle! All you need to do is follow their step by step instruction to get:

New Nintendo 3DS bundle (£199.99; 1 new Nintendo 3DS, 1 game, 1 amiibo figure, 1 cover plate and a gift)
or New Nintendo 3DS XL bundle (£229.99; 1 new Nintendo 3DS XL, 1 game, 1 amiibo figure, a case and a gift)
or Nintendo Wii U bundle (£299.99; 1 Nintendo Wii U Premium Pack that already comes with a game or 2, a game or a controller, including the option of a Wii U Pro Controller)

The bundles are certainly making it easier to choose a combination!

Hotel Tycoon is definitely the board game we've enjoyed most this year (Catan last year). Kids found it very attractive, the mission is obvious (you are actually building up your hotel resort), the game goes on in a good amount of time, and there is the reality of evil businessmen/ traders, tricks to ruin others' resorts, planning permission have a chance to be rejected, and the ultimate winner is always the bank.

Rules are easily adaptable to suit different age, and the more you play, you'll find that one strategy doesn't necessary work all the times, so it encourage you to change your game play and work a new one out at different situations.

Out of all the board games we've played this year, Hotel Tycoon really impressed us the most. Even if you aren't buying it as a gift, it'll be perfect to play during the holidays! You can find our full review through the above purple link.

And here are some great ideas that although we've never reviewed before, we are certain that they will make fantastic gifts!

Let's start with LEGO Dimensions. It has to be one of the most anticipated game out there! Following The LEGO Movie's motto, where we shouldn't limit our creativity with building rules, players go on an adventure to defeat the evil Lord Vortech with unlikely characters (Gandalf and Homer Simpson?!) and gadgets in the game.

Like Skylanders and Disney Infinity, you can collect LEGO figurines, place them on the buildable LEGO Toy Pad to upload them into the game. The difference is that LEGO designed the starter pack to last for years, so you won't need another starter pack very soon! You can also upload any combination of 7 characters, vehicles and gadgets at once into the game!

The game, similar to other LEGO games, allow for 2 players to play together (split-screen), and any player can drop out or join in at any time during the adventure.

I'm going to show Clay this *manipulative parent mode*. He's currently eyeing on a £60+ robot toy, but I honestly think the LEGO Dimension starter pack (£72.99 for Wii U and free delivery) is more value for money!

With the latest Star Wars installment showing soon in the cinemas, and it being one of the most epic movie out there ever, you can't not have something from Star Wars in a Christmas Gift Wishlist! True fans will like Star Wars' most famous flying vehicles (?!), but it's the droid BB-8 that does it for us! I have a strong feeling that it's going to steal a lot of R2-D2 fans' heart!

There is currently 2 BB-8 on the market that will make the most amazing BB-8 Christmas gift:

The BB-8 on the left is by Sphero (£129.95) and is an interactive droid that can be controlled by an app. Its unique attitude and actions evolve in time, and it can recognise your voice and interacts with you too. This is definitely the BB-8 that most tech/ gadget lovers will like.

However, if you think that it's a bit on the expensive side, and you don't mind the BB-8 being less advanced, then the interactive talking BB-8 (£29.95) on the right will be the perfect choice. Its head can turn, and body can roll and spin (honestly speaking, that's good enough for us!). And because of the individual panel used to built this BB-8, it's even more realistic than the Sphero one. It can be activitated by voice or pressing the button, lights up and plays over 20 sound effects.

Budget aside, we would enjoy the interactive talking BB-8 more because you don't really need to train it like a pet, and we'd prefer to watch him roll around in the house. But there is a great choice here, and I'm sure either will please the droid fan!

I admit that we are a gaming family. The kids will be having 2 weeks of holiday and games are a big part of it because they are deprived from it during the school term. The above 2 not yet launched but ready for pre-orders are one of the obvious choices that we think the kids and many others will like (and they have it for both Wii U and new Nintendo 3DS too!).

For the Monster High fans, the new game Monster High: New Ghoul in School is coming out on the 27th November! It's perfect for junior to early teens for sure! I love Monster High's motto "Be yourself. Be unique. Be a monster!" and it tells children that it is good to be different! So if I have to recommend any fashion/ savvy kind of game or toy/ doll, it'll be Monster High.

In this game, players can create their own monster and become the new ghoul in school, make friends and go on a quest to break the mummy's curse. It sounds just like the kind of game Abby and her friends will like!

Although Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends seems a bit of a random choice, it really isn't. We loved the movies, lots of kids like kung fu, and it's a up to 4 players multiple-player game (can play as single player as well)! Players will play alongside their favourite characters from the movie to go on thew quest to win both honour and glory. It has 25 playable characters and villains and 12 different locations, which all sound very exciting!

The game is also out on the 27th November in time for Christmas!

Tomorrow I have a wide selection of gifts to recommend! I've named them all under Well Being because they include products that pampers you, making you healthy in and out. And this can be anything from food, beauty and things that help you de-stress.